What Is a Black Chicken?

The Silkie is a breed of chicken known for its fluffy plumage and black skin and bones. Other distinctive traits of the Silkie include blue earlobes and five toes on each foot as opposed to the usual four in other chicken breeds.

Black chickens originally came from China, but the breed is now common around the world. The Silkie is relatively small compared to other breeds of chicken, weighing between 3 and 4 pounds. While the skin, bones and meat of the Silkie are grayish-black, its eggs are cream-colored. Black chickens are known for their docile nature and do well in confinement. They are sometimes kept as pets because they behave well with children.